A Midsummer's Eve
by L. Dakforest
Summary: Companion story to 'All Hallow's Eve':: Two years after the Pharaoh was released to the afterlife, the gang is moving on redefining themselves and pursuing old dreams. But all is not well, and for One Hikari, paradise is no longer what it seemed.
1. Prologue Farewell Bakura

I don't own Yugioh. I'm just playing on the monkey bars.

Beta'd by my writing partner, Kitty.

**Warnings:** Shonen Ai, Het, Yaoi, Abuse, S&M, Lime

There will be a **special warning** if a scene becomes more graphic than I am currently intending for this story. I will also provide an author's note in the story stating, **"Here there be dragons,"** indicating that, from here, you proceed at your own risk, or to skip ahead to the next scene. Any vital information will be repeated elsewhere in the story.

Pairings: Ryou x Bakura, Ryou x OC, Seto x Joey, Yugi x Many

This story is dedicated to my Uncle Tim, who died of aids before he could realize his dream of becoming a professional writer.

Author's notes: First, I would like to thank everyone who gave such kind reviews for my last story, All Hollow's Eve. It has been so long since I've had anyone comment on my writing that I can't begin to say what they mean to me. bows at the waist Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.

Also, for those of you who have read my one-shot, All Hollow's Eve, this is its companion story. Enjoy, and please, don't feed the Kuribous. They tend to multiply. Later.

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**A Midsummer's Eve**

**By**

**Leilith Dakforest**

**Prologue**

**Farewell Bakura**

Moonlight pooled on the worn brown carpet, reflecting off the facets of the millennium ring where it rested peacefully on the little table. The leaves of the gardenia plant shivered in the cool night breeze, the threadbare curtains shifting before the open apartment window. A single bloom looked out upon the full moon and the view of Kaiba Corp Headquarters in the distance. Even from here, the entwined KC of their logo could be clearly discerned amid the many lights of midnight Domino.

From that single bloom, a single petal fell, only to be swept up by the wind. Drifting languidly into the room, it came to rest on the sandy colored bed sheets, almost silver in the moonlight. The sheets swelled upward, and the petal was thrown off to drift serenely to the floor, alighting on a thin, pale sweater. A sharp gasp lingered in the air as the sheets shifted again, rolling gently like the waves on the sea.

There, above the sandy horizon, course strands of silver spilled down to graze the soft material, spreading out like rivers across alabaster skin and toned muscle. The sheets continued to move languidly, billowing forth and falling back, rippling with the motion. A whimpering moan drifted up from the pillows and a small, frail hand reached up to burry itself in the course, sweat damp tresses. Its companion dug deeply into the flesh of the muscled back.

Bakura continued his slow, tender movements; his gaze riveted on the array of emotions playing themselves out, so plainly, on his hikari's beautiful face: adoration, love, pain, pleasure, need, trust, pain, ecstasy. Ryou gasped and arched beneath his yami, clinging desperately as his eyes rolled back into his head, the sensations so intense, yet oh so gentle. Sweat trickled down his temple and pooled in the little hollow running between his nose and upper lip.

Grinning predatorily, Bakura leaned down to take that lip into his mouth, tasting the exquisite, salty essence. He nipped sharply at the tender skin, tasting blood and enticing up a needy whimper from his timid counterpart. Licking and sucking lightly on the broken flesh, he leaned down further, trailing kisses over his hikari's jaw and down the side of his throat. Ryou's hand again found Bakura's hair, and fisted there as he felt the sharp teeth bite down on the arch of his shoulder, crying out even as he opened himself further to his life, his darkness, his love.

Time did not matter as their gentle grunts, moans, cries and gasps danced together in the air around them, growing slowly in urgency, though they were never hurried. Panting soon joined them as the rippling of the sheets became more pronounced, billowing upward as the frail one struggled and cried beneath the onslaught of powerful feeling and emotion, helpless as they continued to grow in strength and intensity. Tears streamed over his moon pale skin while tender lips and sharp, gentle teeth plucked them from his face.

There was no sudden scream, nor desperate thrashing to mark the night's climax, only a sudden stillness and a piercing, silent scream. Slowly, Bakura lowered himself down, nuzzling his still young hikari's face, rumbling in his chest as Ryou burrowed into the hollow between his neck and shoulder. Slowly, he rolled them onto their sides, and cradled his light close, drawing Ryou's leg up over his hip, maintaining their union, uninterrupted.

They lay there for some time, Ryou clinging to his darkness, while Bakura ran his free hand over Ryou's shoulder, arm, side, hip, anywhere he could reach. At rhythmic intervals he would grip the young, pale flesh, so hard that he left bruises in his wake. He savored the little mews and almost timid moans that he was able to entice from his lover's throat with these gestures, all the while rumbling soothingly in his chest.

Finally, Ryou emerged from his burrow in Bakura's shoulder, and leaned back just enough to gaze into his lover's eyes, the moon reflected in his own. Smiling almost wonderingly, he reached up to brush his fingers over Bakura's face, ghosting them over the yami's hardened features. How Ryou blessed the day he had admitted his innermost feelings for his yami, the ones that he had kept hidden for so long. Ever since that day, during the battle city finals, everything began to change, and he had never been happier.

Now, they were home, free at last from the terrors of the Orichalcos. With the loss of Yugi, Yami had been left vulnerable, and a few harsh, but well chosen words from Bakura had found their mark better than anything anyone else had said to the Pharaoh. In a single breath, Bakura had forced the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle to examine the truth of what had happen that caused him to lose Yugi to the seal, forced him to acknowledge the core of it, and given him the fire he needed to rescue his hikari, regardless of the cost to himself.

Since then, an understanding, if not an alliance, had been forged between the two ancient spirits. Though they were, by definition, enemies, they now tolerated each other easily when in the same space, so long as they were not engaged in combat. Understanding the extent to which the Orichalcos was a threat had spurred the Tomb Raider to join the fight, and though they were never fighting side by side, there was something there that developed between the two spirits. That something, whatever it was, existed even now, after the Orichalcos' defeat, and the Lost King of Atlantis had returned home.

And here they were, sharing in their love, and for the first time in his life, Ryou felt safe, felt home. He let himself drown in his yami's eyes, taking in the clarity that they held now, the peace. Squeezing Bakura's hips with his legs, he settled himself down again, and began to trace absent patterns on the toned, alabaster chest before him. He sighed, content.

"I still can't believe it's finally over," he murmured at last, his voice as gentle as the wind stirring the air in their room.

"What is, Beloved?" Bakura's low, grating voice soothed over Ryou's skin.

"We don't have to be afraid anymore. The Orichalcos is gone. The Leviathan has been sealed. The oldest, and greatest of the shadow monsters has been defeated. All those souls have finally been aloud to find their rest. It's so nice, knowing that I don't have to worry about looking over my shoulder anymore, waiting for the next calamity to fall on us." Ryou smiled, his voice drifting as his eyes grew heavy. His hand still continued to draw lazy circles on his lover's chest.

"It's not over yet." Bakura's voice was monotone, distant. Ryou smiled.

"I know. Yami still needs to recover his memories. But we already have everything we need for that. That will be easy enough," Ryou's eyes continued to weigh him down and eventually fell closed. "We don't even need to get involved…" he trailed off as sleep reached out to embrace him. A moment later, his drifting hand leaned limply against Bakura's chest. A large, strong hand reached out to hold it, lifting himself up onto his elbow as he carefully freed himself from his Hikari. Looking down into Ryou angelic face, Bakura's eyes were dark and troubled. Slowly, he lifted Ryou's small hand to press it to his lips.

"You will never know, Beloved, just how much I wish that were true."

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The stone bridge trembled beneath their feet as Zork continued to wreak havoc on the kingdom above. Around them, the darkness of the cavernous room writhed with the subtle presence of Shadow. Their own voices echoed around them, reflecting back upon them again and again. The air was heavy with the tension of combat, the knowledge that this duel, this fight, here and now, could be the deciding factor in everything. How the pharaoh faired above was irrelevant if Yugi could not win his name in combat. Before him, Bakura laughed manically as he summoned still more Necro Wall tokens to his side of the field.

"Bakura PLEASE! Stop this!" Ryou cried, his voice ragged and hoarse as he fell to his knees, his now desperate pleas falling on deaf ears. How could this be happening? Why? Why was Bakura doing all this? He had thought they were past this. He thought…

"Save your breath, Ryou. That bastard's been _toying_ with us since the beginning!" Tristan barked, his voice thick with hatred now that he had been released from the Tomb Raider's possession.

"No!" Ryou pleaded, looking around at them helplessly, "Please! This isn't Bakura! I know it isn't! Yugi, Please!" Tears flowed freely over Ryou's white face as he turned back to the duel. This couldn't be happening. Oh God, Please, this couldn't be happening!

Bakura sneered as he looked over his opponent's shoulder at the filthy, pathetic youth on the ground behind him. "You were always so pathetic, Ryou. Always so needy and pitiful." The spirit's voice turned high and mocking, "Oh, Bakura, I love you so much, hit me again! HAH! You're weak! Poor little Ryou, all alone in the world. Not even his own friends understand him. Face it, your nothing more than a container, Ryou, a puppet, a _marionette_ bound to my strings. You mean less than nothing to me, Brat! You're an albatross around my neck that I must tolerate because I need your body. But you have outlived your usefulness, and when I am done here, I will _show_ you just how much I care!"

"No! Bakura, you can't mean…"

"That's ENOUGH!" Yugi shouted, moving to place himself between Bakura and Ryou. "Your battle is here, with me, Bakura, and no one else!" The spirit sneered.

"Oh, how cute."

Behind him, Ryou fell forward onto his hands and knees, stricken by his Yami's cruel words. Tea knelt by his side, but he did not see her.

"Please. Please stop this. Please oh please…" Ryou whimpered on, wrapping his hands around his chest, rocking himself as he cried.

"Come on Yuge, wipe da floor wit' him!" Joey screamed, every aspect of his being radiating hatred and The Fight. "I know there's gotta be somet'ing in dat deck of yours dat can beat 'em!"

"FOOL!" Bakura roared. "This duel is already over. The end has come! The world as you know it is about to end, and the reign of Zork shall cover all the lands in eternal darkness. You've _lost_, Yugi! And with you banished to the Shadow Realm, the Pharaoh will never receive his true name and all his efforts will be in vain." With that, Bakura ended his turn, and sneered at Yugi. "I knew it all along, of course. You never had a chance. Without your precious pharaoh, you are just as pathetic as that brat on the floor behind you. You're nothing, Yugi, and you have lost!"

"Don't listen to him, Yugi. We're all here, right behind you. We believe in you. Take him DOWN!" Tea shouted from where she knelt next to Ryou, her hand still on his shoulder.

"Yeah, Yuge. Mop da floor wit' him! That traitor is just tryin' to psych ya out, Man. You're da greatest duelist d'ere is. You're da King of Games, an' you ain't ever lost a duel yet! You can beat him. Remember, it ain't over yet till da Fat Lady sings!" Joey cheered, thrusting his fist into the air, willing his friend to win, Tristan right there at his side. On the floor, Ryou had never felt more lost and alone as he looked up at the duel again, at the cruel smile playing itself over Bakura's face.

"I'm only being honest with you, Yugi. I've been there ever since the beginning, remember. Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, the Orichalcos. Every duel you ever fought that had anything at all on the line was fought by the Pharaoh, while you hid behind him, clinging to the hem of his shirt like the child you are. The Pharaoh is the true King of Games, and you're just his lackey."

Yugi found his gaze dropping to the backs of his monsters on the field. Could Bakura be right? No! He's not! Yet… He always thought that he was with Yami during all those duels, standing strong at his side. Now, though, he realized that he's always just been chasing after him, trying vainly to reach what Yami was, and always, always being left behind.

Suddenly, Yugi jerked as he heard someone call out his name, far away. Darkness enveloped his vision, and was replaced with the royal palace, now little more than ruins as Zork devoured the remains of the Egyptian Gods. Then he saw Yami, the Pharaoh, falling to his hands and knees, tears streaming down his face. And as he felt himself reach out toward that image, he heard Yami's voice, heard him begging, praying.

"I can't do this. I can't do this, Yugi. Help me. Yugi, I need you, please. I can't do this without you."

As Yugi looked on at the fallen pharaoh, he felt his resolve return. No, he wouldn't accept this. Bakura hadn't won yet, and he will not win. He had promised the Pharaoh that he would find his name and bring it back to him, and that is exactly what he intended to do. As the vision began to fade, he called out to his Pharaoh.

"Hang in there, Yami. I'm coming." Then it was gone, and he stood upon the stone bridge once more, staring down the traitorous Spirit of the Millennium Ring.

"You're wrong, Bakura. You've never understood what the Pharaoh and I share, and you never will. I will defeat you. Yami needs me, right now! I've got better things to do than to waist my time with the likes of you!" Behind him, he heard his friends cheering him on. Yet, beneath their cheers, he heard something else as well, and felt his heart break. 'Forgive me, Ryou. I'm sorry.'

Bakura threw his head back, laughing, as Yugi drew the last card in his deck. "Is that so, Little Yugi? Then tell me, what the hell do you expect to do with one card? This duel is over." He said, rocking back onto his heals and folding his arms, waiting, amused, to see what the little hikari would do next. Yugi looked down at his last card, and smiled.

"I sacrifice Marshmallon and Silent Magician to the card graveyard, and Summon to the field, Gandora, The Dragon of Destruction!" Yugi cried, and with a grand gesture, slapped his last card onto the field.

"What!"

"Way to go, Yuge!"

"Take him down, Yugi!"

"We believe in you!"

Yugi looked on at his opponent, taking in Bakura's shock as the dragon appeared on the field. "It's never over, Bakura, until the last card is played. And now, I have the power to defeat you, once and for all!" Bakura covered his shock with his menacing sneer.

"Is that right, little Yugi? I wonder, though, just how you intend to do this, when I have twelve monsters on the field, and you only have one."

"Like this! I activate Gandora's special effect, 'Boundless Giga Rays!'" Yugi thrust his hand outward as the dragon took flight, unleashing its devastating attack on Bakura's monsters, destroying them all in a single assault. Bakura had to fight not to be thrown back, shielding himself with his duel disk. The dragon settled back into its place at Yugi's side of the field and the winds fell silent.

Bakura lowered his arms, and looked on as the dragon vanished from the field, sent to the graveyard as a consequence of its special effect. The spirit started to tremble, his body shaking as his head fell forward. Behind Yugi, his friends began to cheer and celebrate. Ryou could not take his eyes off his yami, his heart strangling in his chest. Suddenly, Bakura threw his head back and released a howling, maniacal laughter. Joey demanded to know what's so funny. Bakura looked across the field at Yugi again.

"You are a fool, Yugi! This game is over and you have lost. My life points are intact, and you have no more monsters on your field. You're last card has been sent to the graveyard, and you have nothing more to play!" With a flourish, Bakura bowed mockingly to Yugi. "Enjoy your 'victory', Fool! It is your last!"

Ryou watched, despairing, as the other's realized the truth of the traitor's words. He could not take his eyes off his Yami as he began to rise from his bow, though tears blinded his vision. Suddenly, Bakura jerked, and a new, evil laughter filled the chamber as Bakura appeared to struggle with something. Everyone watched, confused and alert, as Bakura screamed, throwing his head back as black smoke poured out from his mouth, nose and eyes, gathering as a writhing cloud in the air. A black face made itself known in the smoke before it dispersed, the echoing laughter dying with it.

Ryou found himself unable to breath, body tense as he watched the smoke rise up from Bakura, unable to take his eyes from the spirit's face. He saw the exhaustion begin to take form there, but more than that, he saw the first hints of sorrow, shame, and regret. That was all the incentive Ryou needed. Heedlessly, he lunged forward, flying across the field to catch Bakura as his knees gave out and he collapsed onto the stone bridge. He was only barely aware of the others calling out his name.

"Bakura! Bakura are you all right? Answer me, 'Kura. Please. Speak to me." Ryou cried, tears flowing anew as he cradled his darkness against his chest, stroking back the coarse hair from his face. Desperately, he leaned in to kiss him deeply, his tears smearing between their cheeks, trying anything he could think of to bring his lover back. "Bakura, please. Please don't leave me. I love you. I need you. Please, come back!"

Across the bridge, the others all watched the scene play out before them, surprised at the vehemence in Ryou's voice, and uncertain of where they now stood. Yugi still held his duel disk suspended before him. The pharaoh's hikari needed only to imagine himself in Ryou's position to feel hot tears spilling past his own cheeks. Suddenly, Yugi caught a movement from Bakura, and watched as the yami slowly lifted his hands toward Ryou's face, sinking his fingers in the soft strands of silver silk he found there.

Ryou choked out a relieved cry and buried his face in his lover's hair, sobbing. Bakura looked torn between his joy at being with Ryou again, the need to care for his hikari, and intense shame, sorrow, and regret over what had just taken place, and everything he had done. Looking over to meet Yugi's eyes, he shifted himself forward and took Ryou into his arms, holding the youth close. Yugi waited, patiently, his duel disk still suspended before him. Behind him, Yugi's friends all seemed at a loss, waiting instead to see what would happen next.

Finally, Ryou calmed enough for his sobs to abate, but did not release his hold on Bakura's chest and shoulders, face still burred in the hollow of his neck. Satisfied, Bakura turned his attention to Yugi across the field. Yugi stepped forward, neither hatred nor forgiveness written in his features. His expression was unreadable, his judgment reserved.

"Care to explain, Bakura."

Bakura wrapped his arms tighter around his hikari, but did not take his eyes from Yugi, his shame and his regret written plainly for the Pharaoh's Vessel to see. When he spoke, there was no great strength in his voice, no pride, no hatred. There was only defeat.

"I hated him," The Yami started quietly, "the pharaoh who ordered the destruction of my village. My people were slaughtered in the night: men, women, children; even our dogs and our cattle. Nothing was spared. The priest summoned something in our village that night, and used its power to fashion the Millennium Items. It did not like being summoned, and resented being so close to this world, yet so far away." Bakura's gaze grew distant as he looked into the past, analyzing, perhaps for the first time, what had truly happened to him that night.

"It must have been while the items were being created. Perhaps it chose me because my family's blood was among that used to summon it. Perhaps it was because I was the only survivor. Regardless, I heard a voice speaking to me in my hiding place. It said it didn't have much time. It said that it had great power, power it would grant me. It said it would help me avenge my people's slaughter. Did I want revenge?

"I had watched as they raped my mother before murdering her, heard my sister's screams as she was defiled. I hated them all. I accepted its offer. The hatred I felt that day never left me, never weakened. It was with me always, a dark, crimson fog in my thoughts. I later learned that it was that same hatred that the voice had anchored itself to, and as I grew stronger, so did my hatred, and so did its connection to me." Bakura hung his head, leaning in to rest his temple on Ryou's hair.

"Five thousand years is a long time to hate. I began to hear the voice again, while I was trapped. It told me of what must be done, of what I needed to do. I did not question it. I willing obliged its wishes, as they meshed so nicely with my own." He turned to speak to his Hikari. "You save me, Ryou. Do you know that? You taught me what friendship was, and love. I didn't want to follow its orders after that. I resisted it, and, I think, it let me, while we fought the Orichalcos. But afterwards, I heard its voice even stronger, but I told it that I was not its pawn anymore. It… proved me wrong. By the time the Pharaoh had descended into this world, I could not control the hatred that the thing had fired up in me. I couldn't hear you, Ryou. I couldn't see you, see anything but the hatred." Bakura fell silent after that, burying his face in Ryou's hair.

"And now?" Yugi pressed.

"Now it is done," Bakura said, his voice harsh once more, a deep pain in his gaze as he turned back to the Pharaoh's hikari. "I have fulfilled its purpose for me. It is finished. Zork… has won." Yugi looked long at Ryou's Darkness, his usually kind gaze hard, measuring and passing judgment. Judging… it was something Yugi never did, but here, knowing what must happen, he needed to know. He needed to decide, and accept the weight of that decision, whatever I may be. His honor, his heart, would never mend if he allowed himself to summarily dismiss Bakura out of hand.

The feather weighed the scale down and Yugi closed his eyes, accepting the burden of what must be done, alone.

"You're wrong, Bakura." He said simply. With that one breath, he stilled the entire chamber. His friends stopped fretting behind him, their panicky voices silenced. Ryou stopped his trembling in Bakura's arms. Indeed even his breath had ceased as he waited for Yugi's next words. Bakura looked sharply up into the Game King's eyes, half hopeful, half disbelieving.

"How do you mean?" he demanded, hoarsely.

Yugi opened his eyes to look on at the pair before him, and felt his heart break for them both. He wondered if he would be able to bear the weight of what must be done, or if it would destroy him. He looked Bakura in the eyes.

"I believe you, Spirit of the Millennium Ring, but this 'thing' is not over yet. Ryou… I'm sorry." Yugi's voice fell to something less than a whisper, carried only by the absolute silence that filled the chamber beneath the pharaoh's tomb. Bakura's eyes widened, his shock the only thing that allowed Ryou to escape his grasp. With lightening movements, Ryou stood, defiant, before Bakura, arms outstretched.

"NO! I won't let you, Yugi. I won't let you banish him!" He screamed, a fire in his eyes that Yugi had never seen before.

"Ryou," Yugi tried, reaching for his fellow.

"No Yugi! I won't let you. You'll have to take me to, do you hear me. You'll have to kill us both!"

"Stop this Ryou!" Bakura said, but Ryou just whirled upon his rising yami.

"I won't! Don't you understand, Bakura? I can't go on without you. I…" Ryou was silenced by Bakura's strong arms around his waist and hard lips devouring his. Over Ryou's shoulder, Bakura looking into Yugi's eyes, and was understood. Yugi turned to look at Joey and Tristan. Bakura turned his gaze on his light. He pulled away just enough to speak.

"I should have told you, My Hikari, every day, long before now… I love you, Ryou. You saved me. Ever since that day, atop Kaiba's blimp, the hatred has never been the same, and before I realized it, it began to slip away from me." Bakura shifted his hands to Ryou's upper arms, gently, before steadily clamping down on them so hard that Ryou had to fight not to cry out. The hikari's gaze did not waver, did not turn away from Bakura's intense gaze. As Bakura spoke, his hands tightened down even further, and Ryou did once complain.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Ryou, a blessing for which I am unworthy, a gift I do not deserve. There isn't a moment that has passed since our first union that I have not regretted every time I made you feel lost and afraid. You are strong, Ryou: stronger than you give yourself credit for: stronger than, I think, you will ever truly realize. I will never forget you, Ryou." Before Ryou could respond to that, he pulled his hikari forward into a crushing, bruising kiss, biting down on Ryou's lips hard enough to fill their mouths with blood. A tremulous whimper struggled up in Ryou's throat as he leaned into Bakura's kiss, only to be swallowed by Bakura's lips. Hot tears spilled over Ryou's swollen cheeks as he closed his eyes.

Then Bakura was gone. He lost his footing, and felt himself falling, only to land on strange, unfamiliar arms. Ryou looked up to find himself leaning against Joey and Tristan, blood coating his mouth, oozing down over his chin from the broken flesh. Joey was so enraged at the sight that he almost lost his grip on the hikari when he turned, struggling to get away, to stop Yugi, to protect Bakura. However, regardless of how strong he was in spirit, Ryou's body had always been weak. All he could do was struggle against the teens' unyielding grips, screaming at the top of his lungs for them to stop, for Yugi to please not do this. Behind Yugi, Tea could only watch as Ryou struggled and screamed, blood trickling over his chin and falling to the floor.

Bakura stood at his end of the field, arms lowered to his sides. Both he and Yugi staunchly put Ryou out of their minds. Yugi was right. This thing was not yet finished. It was only then, as Bakura turned his gaze back onto the field, that he realized that Yugi's Silent Swordsman had returned to the field, with an attack of 4500. It was more than enough to wipe out all of Bakura's life points. Then he smiled, and remembered. Gandora had been sent to the graveyard, and that had released the seal on the Swordsman. Closing his eyes, Bakura breathed and accepted his fate. He looked out onto his opponent again, his eyes again the eyes of a yami. A small, peaceful smile pulled at his lips.

"Listen to me, Yugi. Zork is an incredibly dangerous opponent. More so than anything else you've ever faced before. You must be cautious. The magic around this chamber has protected us from the assault on the Kingdom above, but with the end of this duel, that magic will also disappear." Yugi nodded.

"I understand."

"Good. Then take what it is you have fought so hard for, Game King. His name… is Atemu." A great pain settled itself over Yugi's features as he closed his eyes, bowing his head. He would not cry. He could not cry. It was not over yet. He was needed. He had to be strong. Straightening himself again, Yugi squared his shoulders and looked across the bridge at he whom Yugi would have been proud to call friend. Bakura smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry for all the damage I have caused, Yugi. Please, tell the pharaoh that for me. I know 'sorry' will never be enough but…" Yugi cut him off.

"You're wrong again, Bakura." Yugi said, smiling regretfully at him, "Sorry, if meant from the heart, is always enough." Yugi held out his duel disk. "Are you ready?"

"NO! Yugi please, don't do this, please!" Ryou screamed, struggling harder than ever against his two friends. "Bakura, Please, just forfeit. It's not too late."

"I wish you were right, Ryou." Yugi called out across the bridge. "I wish that was all that needed to be done, but it's not that simple. My turn is still in progress. A valid forfeit can only come at the start of one's turn. It's far too late for anything Ryou. I can hold off the end of this duel as long as I like, but we cannot afford to wait here for the next five thousand years. There is still a war to be won. Ryou… I'm sorry." Yugi's voice touched something in Ryou, and the hikari's struggles stilled. Yugi met Ryou's gaze.

"I look at you, Ryou, and I see myself in your position, and it is all I can do to keep my heart intact, keep the tears away, knowing there is nothing I can do to prevent this. I can only hold it off, and we have no time." Bakura turned and gave his hikari a rare, proud smile.

"I believe in you. Be strong, beloved. Survive. I will never, ever, be far from your side." Bakura turned back to Yugi. "I'm ready." And Yugi called the attack. Ryou's scream tore at all their hearts as Bakura endured the attack in silence, and was enveloped by the Shadows. The protective magic shattered, and the cavern collapsed. The group only just made it out in time.

Blood spattered the sand as Ryou threw himself upon it, screaming, beating, hurting, and knowing it would do no good. Bakura was gone, banished, forever, to the shadow realm. Yugi knelt before him and placed his hands on Ryou's rapidly bleeding fists. Though he desperately wanted to pummel his fellow, Bakura held in his rage, and did not meet Yugi's amethyst eyes.

"Bakura is bound to the ring, Ryou. That has not changed. His banishment is also restricted to the ring, and so is his hell. It's not over yet. Ryou, there is still time to save him." Slowly, Ryou looked up into his kindred's face, hesitant, hopeful. Yugi continued, "If we destroy the ring, Ryou, then Bakura will be set free. He cannot come back to us, here, in this plane, but we can, at least, release him to his rest. We can still do that for him. He has been bound for far too long." Crimson tears streaked Ryou's red cheeks as Yugi's words sank in.

"But… Yugi, to do that, you would have to…" Strangled with the weight of it, Yugi could only nod, knowing the full extent of what must be done in order to set Bakura free. Suddenly, all Ryou's anger and sudden hatred for his fellow evaporated, and he fell forward into Yugi's arms, where he cried for them both. Yugi let him, as he could shed no tears himself. There was still far too much to do. It wasn't over yet.

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Well, there it is. Reviews and comments are more than welcome. I shall try to keep the maturity level with the range that I have established here. Should it go beyond that, well, you know. I'll respond to comments at the end of each chapter, rather than at the start. As always, flames are used to roast marshmallows and soften chocolate for smores.

…

Watches, warily, as an unusually large pack of Kuribou's show up at the mention of smores.

Glares pointedly … Thanks guys. Really.


	2. Chapter 1 Paradise

I don't own Yugioh. I'm just playing on the monkey bars.

**Warnings:** Shonen Ai, Het, Yaoi, Abuse, S&M, Lime

There will be a **special warning** if a scene becomes more graphic than I am currently intending for this story. I will also provide an author's note in the story stating, **"Here there be dragons,"** indicating that, from here, you proceed at your own risk, or to skip ahead to the next scene. Any vital information will be repeated elsewhere in the story.

Pairings: Ryou x Bakura, Ryou x OC, Seto x Joey, Yugi x Many

This story is dedicated to my Uncle Tim, who died of aids before he could realize his dream of becoming a professional writer.

Author's notes: First, I would like to thank everyone who gave such kind reviews for my last story, All Hollow's Eve. It has been so long since I've had anyone comment on by writing that I can't begin to say what they mean to me. bows at the waist Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.

Also, for those of you who have read my one-shot, All Hollows Eve, this is its companion story. Enjoy, and please, don't feed the Kuribous. They tend to multiply. Later.

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**A Midsummer's Eve**

**By**

**Leilith Dakforest**

**Chapter One**

**Paradise **

Ryou ran, desperate, down the narrow isle between the seats. The floor tilted beneath him, trying to throw him back. The clouds seeped through the windows, filling the cabin with white mist. He lost his footing, would have fallen back had he not grabbed one of the chairs. The floor steadied itself again, and he pressed onward, pulling himself along by the seats bolted to the floor. The there was a high whirling in his ears, like engines. He pushed through the compartment door.

Sofas lined the walls in the next room. Joey shot to his feet, red-faced, yelling at Seto. From the corner of his eye, he Ryou saw Yugi curled in the corner, his eyes closed, head bowed, cradling his puzzle in his arms. The others were all there as well, but he could not hear them. He couldn't hear any of them. The mist continued to haze his vision… or was it mist at all? He touched his face and his hand came back wet. His upper arms hurt, and he tasted copper in his mouth. Touching his fingers to his lips, they came back crimson. He found dark bruises, almost black, on his upper arms when he pushed back the sleeves of his shirt.

"Survive."

The word resounded around him, voice rough and deep in his mind. The cabin fogged again as he ran forward, ignored by the others. He pushed through the compartment door. A bold, blue, KC blazed back at him on the door's surface.

There was a shining light in the next room, almost blinding. Ryou pushed forward anyway, crying out as he drew nearer to the source. He could make out the shape of his own Millennium Ring among the other Items spread out on the table. He reached for it, blinded by the light. He had to…

"I should have told you, My Hikari, every day, long before now…"

Suddenly there was no light, no whirling, no mist. He looked up and found himself in his own threadbare room, a single door on the far wall. He ran toward it, feeling the pain in his arms, tasting the blood in his mouth. The wounds gave him the strength to push onwards, to push past the tears as he dove into the black corridor separating them. Bakura's door flew open at the Hikari's lightest touch, and he fell forward into darkness and shadow.

He was falling, falling, falling. He fought against it, struggled to grasp what he could, but the shadows eluded him. He was running, screaming, crying out to his darkness as the shadows writhed in their misty forms around him. Then he saw their eyes. Heard their grunts and the deep throated growls. There were monsters, everywhere, waiting in the shadows. He cried out and ran deeper into Shadow. Then he heard the screams. High, throat rending screams. That voice was never meant to scream.

Ryou called out to him, his yami's name tearing at his own throat. He fought to reach the source of those cries, but the shadows became like tar and he fell. He was sinking into the darkness. The mist took corporeal form and wrapped black tendrils around the pale boy. They stifled his screams as they delved into his mouth and down his throat. Others spread out over him and enveloped him. Another, desperate, high pitched scream, and Ryou again felt the pain in his arms.

"You are… a blessing for which I am unworthy, a gift I do not deserve." The words haunted him, taunted him. He remembered the slow, intense pain of penetration, the gentle teeth nipping his face as soft lips plucked the tears from his cheeks. Ryou cried out, and did not struggle against the darkness. He Fought. The shadows would not keep him from his heart. They could not contain the love, the connection, that the two pale souls shared.

Ryou's skin began to glow, and he pulled himself free of the darkness, running onward. The shadows did not attempt to snare him again, shying away from the light the boy emitted. The screams continued to echo within the darkness, and Ryou cried out with them…

The scream echoed on and on as Ryou crashed back into consciousness. He shot up in his bed, cold sweat running down in little rivulets over his alabaster skin. The mattress shifted beneath him, and a warm hand took his in a soft, firm grip. Small fingers brushed over his cheek, drawing his gaze over to the presence hovering above him. Still caught in his nightmare, Ryou turned and found himself taken in by the angel that hovered, mere inches from his own. Big, crystal blue eyes gazed back at him, a faint frown pulling at her lips, only just tinted with concern. Ryou gulped in his breath and bid himself to calm when the shadows of memory finally began to fade. He recognized his fiancée's face gazing back at him.

"You were dreaming again, Ryou." She murmured, reaching out to brush cold, sweat damp hair from his face. Ryou closed his eyes and leaned into her touch before letting himself fall back onto the bed, gripping the hand that held his. Breathing deeply, he steadied his racing heart and brought his panting breath back to a steady, even rhythm. Jennifer frowned as she watched him, letting her grip fall lax in his hand as she leaned away. There was no sympathy in her gaze, but rather disapproving exasperation.

"How much longer are you going to be having these dreams, Love?" She asked, her voice soft, but held a very subtle, demanding undertone.

"What could be so bad that you cannot escape it, after all this time? Why won't you tell me what haunts you? What are these demons you hold? Or are they demons at all? It's your dead lover, isn't it?" Her voice became somewhat higher, drawing Ryou's gaze. "You still dream about her, don't you? That's it, isn't it, Ryou? After all this time, you still cannot forget about her. I thought you loved me. I've given you everything, Ryou." Her voice grew shriller still, and she summoned forth tears to her eyes, "Am I not enough for you? Or do I pale so badly next to your dream?"

Once, Ryou had been shocked to hear these words, and had rushed to her, intent on pouring out the love and devotion he had for her through his every kiss and gesture. He had beat himself harshly, even as he fought to convince her that she was the only woman for him, and that he loved her so very much. Once, Ryou had felt as though a knife had been plunged into his gut when she would speak these words, because, in his heart, he knew they were true, and he hated himself for that. Now, the albino hikari still found himself reaching for her, pouring forth his devotion into the gestures and words, but the knife had been used so much that it had carved a permanent sheath in Ryou's gut. He felt its presence, but it did not cut him anymore. And what did that say of him, in the end, that he could no longer bring himself to feel guilty for always making her feel this way.

"Of course you are, My Love. I love you, so much." He murmured, close to her, cupping her cheek in his hand and drawing her closer to him, kissing her sweetly on her swollen lips. "You are the most beautiful, most amazing person I have ever known. You're intelligent, funny, and kind. My Love, how could a man ask for anything more." He soothed, drawing her to him. She smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth before rising.

"School starts in two hours. Hurry up with your shower and get dressed." She said, casting him her angelic smile over her shoulder before disappearing into the hallway. Ryou sighed, his smile fading as she did, relieved that he had avoided a much more dramatic scene as he threw his feet over the side of their bed. He felt so heavy, these days, and couldn't understand why. He loved Jennifer so much. Shouldn't that be enough to banish the depression that had gripped him since Bakura's release? Yet, it seemed the depression was only getting worse. It was such a struggle to go about his daily business. Something jangled faintly as he shifted his feet to stand, bumping his heel into it. Frowning, Ryou leaned down and sighed as he felt his fingers encounter a length of steel chain. Face downcast again, he retrieved the harness, and watched as the heavy leather belts dangled at the chains' ends.

Eyes dark, he reached out to take a thick wrist cuff into his hand, idly running his fingers over the rough rim. He watched with a sort of detached fascination as little flakes of blood flicked off onto his skin. As he ground the flakes lightly between his forefinger and thumb, he found his inner vision obscured by visions of soft, silken cloth binding his wrists; knots, easily untied, yielding nothing to his struggles.

He blinked over his too dry eyes as he found himself back in the present, gazing down at the thick leather and chains hanging from his hands like some grotesque web. Still holding the wrist cuff in hand, he reached out and pulled back the cuff of his pajama sleeves, revealing a long, red scab that encircled the base of his hand. Spreading out from there was a green and brown mottle bruise that wrapped around his wrist, still healing. Eyes a deep charcoal gray, Ryou lowered his head, long bangs obscuring his face as he let the chains drop where they will. Over his shoulder and down his side, the ghost of a tender touch haunted him.

On her way back to the kitchen, Jennifer caught sight of something on the restroom counter. Scowling to herself at her near slip, she snatched the long, little object from the counter, and retrieved its box from the bathroom trash before making her way into the kitchen. A minute later, she heard the sound of water beating on skin and tile floor. Turning off the heat to the bacon, she grabbed an old grocery bag from the bag hanging on the wall by the fridge, and moved over to the trash can. Dropping the object and its box into the bag, she shoved it down into the trash. Satisfied, she went about finishing their little breakfast before they needed to head off to school.

Ryou let the scalding water run over his skin, let it sting in the little wounds that lay, scattered, over his body. He imagined gentle lips and tongue soothing over them, licking them clean. The spatter of water on his bruises was like little hammers pounding on his flesh. He reached out for the soap and foaming body scrub, and started to lather it up as her words of love and concern seem mocked him from where they echoed against the walls. He shook his head sharply, sending hair into his face. He was moving on. Bakura was dead. His darkness was at peace. He was with Jennifer now, and it was unfair of him to compare the two. They were nothing alike. He had been the one to request a little more… intensity to their love life. She was doing the best she could. She kept saying how being in touch with his 'feminine side' was all well and good, but he was a 'man.' He didn't need to be coddled.

She was doing the best she could, but she would never understand what it was he needed. She hadn't been there. She hadn't been through what he had with the millennium items, with the duels, with the apocalyptic struggles. She wouldn't have anyway; she despised 'child's games.' If only… NO! Bakura was dead. He was gone and he wasn't coming back. Jennifer didn't know. She just didn't understand, and, Ryou knew, she never would. No one would ever under…

Ryou's thoughts trailed off. Lather fell in great globs to the floor, washed away in the stream. Ryou's hand's stilled. His head fell forward, wet bangs plastering themselves to his face. The water was scalding on his skin. What were two more tears?

* * *

Jennifer smiled up at her fiancée when he finally emerged from their room, dressed, as usual, in his plane, pale clothing. He hadn't even tried to wear the clothes she got for him, with their bold colors. He just insisted on looking like washed out bathroom wallpaper. She kept her smile in place as he returned the gesture, all his devoted love for her shining through as he took his place at their little table. They took their breakfast in silence for a time, just being together. Occasionally, Jennifer would lift one of her feet to rub it up and down on Ryou's thigh suggestively. He would smile to this, and reach over the table to hold her hand.

Out of nowhere, an orange tabby cat leapt up onto the table, sniffing the air, nosing at Ryou's plate. The hikari laughed, and pet his feline friend, whom he had found nosing in a trash can two years ago, after the shadows had been sealed. Jennifer frowned. Ryou saw this out of the corner of his eye, and, snapping off a small piece of his bacon, gave it to the cat and dropped her onto the floor.

"You know I hate it when you do that." Jennifer said, a moment later. "That cat struts around this place like it owns it, getting its filthy paws all over the counter and tables. And there you are, feeding it from your plate." Ryou sighed but didn't say anything. This was an old complaint of hers, and he was tired of hearing it. Twice, she had tried to convince him to get rid of Bast, but he always refused. She had been just a kitten when she came to him. She had been with him ever since he walked into his apartment after the Pharaoh's ceremonial duel, and found himself alone. In many ways, the feline's presence had been an anchor for him, and he was not going to get rid of her now.

"You have the day off, today, don't you Ryou?" Jennifer asked, a few minutes later. Ryou nodded. She smiled.

"Good. Why don't you come meet me after school. Darren is inviting everyone over for a pre-midterm party. We can get lunch before then, spend the afternoon together," She left her voice drift slightly, dreamy like, "There will be party favors…" She added, trying to entice her fiancée, "We can have our fun there, then come home and pull out the new toy I found."

Ryou sighed, and put down his fork. "I don't know, Jen. You know parties aren't really my thing." Jennifer just scoffed.

"That's because you've never tried it. You never come with me or my friends. It will do you good, Ryou. You need to get out of the hole you keep hiding in. And stop hanging out with those people. You know I don't like them: especially that Yugi person. You say you don't like parties, yet you hang out with him. Somehow, I find that hard to believe, Ryou. I can only imagine the kind of parties that punk goes to, or the drugs he does. Hanging with him will only get you in trouble with the law. God only knows what that guy is into."

"You're wrong." Ryou said, eyes fixed on some point beneath the table's surface. There was no force in his voice. This, too, was a very old argument. He just let it slide, telling himself that she didn't know, didn't understand, and wouldn't even if he tried to explain.

"I am, am I?" she asked, incredulously. "You are so naive, Ryou. I've hung with guys like him before, when I was in High School. They are nothing but trouble, and will screw you over at a moment's notice once the going gets tough." Ryou said nothing. She looked over at him.

"Ryou, I want you to stop associating with him. He's doing nothing but holding you down. Come find me after your classes are over. I'll be in the library. I have a research assignment due. We'll go have lunch somewhere, and then head over to the party." Her voice was soft, but her tone brooked no room for argument as she rose with her dishes, catching up his as well on her way, and dumped the remains of the meal in the food disposal.

A few minutes later, they had gathered their coats and their bags, and were heading for the door when Ryou caught her wrist in his hand. She turned to him, her beautiful blue eyes bright beneath her baby soft brown hair. He took a breath.

"I still say your wrong about Yugi, but I respect your opinion. I'll… I'll meet with you at the library." He murmured, leaning down slightly to brush his lips against her. She smiled and reached up to grasp his hair tightly as she pulled him to her.

* * *

The shuttle trembled as it finally came to a stop, and Ryou leaned over to kiss Jennifer sweetly before she could gather up her books and be on her way. She returned the kiss sharply, nipping hard on his lip before pulling away. Her blue eyes bore into his in their own subtle, sharp way as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Three o'clock?" she inquired, reconfirming their appointment for later that afternoon. Ryou nodded, smiling his usual complacent smile. She returned the smiled before turning and catching up to the line of people stepping off the shuttle. Ryou leaned back in his seat and turned his downcast gaze to the window, watching, as she met up with one of her girlfriends and disappeared. Sighing, he closed his eyes and let his head loll back onto the seat. Absently, he pulled his lower lip into his mouth, soothing his tongue over the wound as Bakura would have done, long ago.

Around him, other students talked amongst themselves: groups turned in their seats to face each other; couples pulled each other close. Behind him, he heard some people talking about a party happening that night, heard something that he couldn't quite make out, a pleased exclamation, hasty shushing sounds. A name did reach him though. Wasn't that Jennifer's friend? He frowned, feeling something fundamental inside him rebel at the thought of the party. Shifting uncomfortably, he turned to rest his temple on the back of the seat, his gaze unfocused out the window, watching the buildings slide by.

Finally, they arrived at the history building, and Ryou prepared to take his leave. Vaguely, he thought he felt eyes on his back, and, if the hairs standing on the back of his neck was any indication, their gazes were anything but kind. Stumbling slightly as he stepped from the shuttle, he moved toward the steps to the building. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan were already there, waiting for him. Even over the murmur of the crowd, he could hear Joey and Tristan's raised voices drifting over to him. Yugi turned when the albino hikari reached the steps and smiled down at his friend, tuning out the others' argument about Serenity with ease of long practice. Ryou offered up his quiet, camaraderie smile to Yugi, knowing his fellow Hikari would understand its full meaning, and, together, the group set off into the building for their first class of the day.

History, being what it was, was neither Joey's nor Tristan's forte, regardless of the special enchantment it held over the two hikari's. Even so, Joey seemed unusually distant today, staring off into the distance, not even bothering to take notes. His only saving grace was that Tristan, with his blooming relationship with Joey's little sister, was in rare form, and was feeling particularly generous toward his potential brother-in-law. Ryou did his best with his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Jennifer and the swollen hollow in his heart. The muffled twittering of the girls behind him did not help his concentration. Yugi kept his focus firmly on the professor, intent on making the best grades he could in his quest for a degree in anthropology.

Afterwards, the group split up for their respective classes, with Joey headed toward the technology department, Tristan for welding, while the two hikari's remained where they were, heading toward their next class together. The two didn't say anything, they didn't need to. Occasionally, Yugi would glance over at his companion, but neither his gaze nor his body language gave any hint of what he might have seen. Ryou was unable to think much of anything with that quiet female twittering that, he could swear, was 'following' them. Yugi, it seemed, had noticed it as well and glanced over his shoulder looking for its source. It went silent.

"Growing paranoid in your old age, Motou?" Startled, Yugi turned and looked up at the tall, blue eyed CEO standing before him. Smiling, the Game King hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder, shrugging nonchalantly as he smiled at his long time friend and rival.

"Well, you know how it goes, Kaiba. Win a few duels, rescue a few souls, save the world…" He grinned, letting the flip comment drift on its merry way to a place only the three of them knew.

"Where are you off to, Seto?" Ryou inquired, his ever quiet voice just barely enough for those assembled to hear. "I don't remember seeing you here before."

Seto gaze softened as he looked down at the too-thin hikari. "I had to arrange a schedule change. Conflict between classes and the company." The two nodded, understanding. Seto let the corner of his lip turn up in one of his rare, friendly half smiles as the warning bell sounded for class. "Well, I won't hold you up, but I would like to talk to the two of you later on today. Alright?"

"Sure thing, Kaiba." Yugi said brightly, and, as one, the group turned and headed down the same hall. Yugi smirked and Seto looked faintly surprised. Ryou, though he was able to fake it well enough, just couldn't bring himself to summon forth true amusement at the situation.

"What class did you say you're going to, Seto?" Yugi asked, craning his head to look up at his rival.

"Egyptian History." He said, matter-o-fact. Yugi laughed quietly, bowing his head to muffle his own unexplained amusement. A frown pulled at Ryou's lips as, for some strange reason, he thought he heard a swell in the whispered twittering behind them.

"We're heading to that class to. Although, if you don't mind my asking, Seto, I know why we are going there, but…" Yugi trailed off, letting the implications stand. Seto lowered his head, and spoke just loud enough for the Hikaris to hear.

"I still have dreams. That priest and his little girlfriend keep haunting them. I can't get them out of my mind. I thought…"

"That perhaps learning about the world they came from would somehow appease their memory." Ryou finished, his quiet voice sage with his own painful experience. "Good luck with that Seto, I know I've had none."

Yugi turned and looked at his fellow from the corner of his eye, frowning faintly before continuing on, the classroom door now in sight. The class went by quickly, and was even pretty interesting, and when it was finished, the three duelists gathered up their books and made their way to their next classes. In the hall, just as the group was about to go their separate ways, Seto was bowled over headlong as another body rounded the corner.

The wind was knocked out of him as a heavy weight fell on his chest. Lights flashed before his eyes as his skull cracked on the tiled, cement floor, and the voices around him became blurred for a moment as his addled brain reoriented itself. And, after a moment or two, it did, with a thundering headache. And there, kneeling over him, disheveled and out of breath was non other than Yugi's dog, still panting from its run.

"Seto, are you all right, man?" Joey asked, having heard the impact of the CEO's head with the floor. "Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I should've been watching better where I was goin'. Don' try to move." He said, reaching out to feel the back of Seto's head, but the CEO just shoved him roughly off of him.

"Get the fuck off me, Mutt." He growled, hauling himself to his feet, fingers kneading his temple as he forced his body to move gracefully through the swaying of the room around him. Ryou reached out a hand to steady him, which he did not shrug off right away, instead turning to glower at Joey again, who looked for all the world like he had just knocked the sweetest old lady down on her back. Grounding out some backhanded comments about dog training and leashes, Seto finally shrugged out of Ryou's grasp and continued on his way, his fingers still kneading his temples. Joey's face became hard and impassive as he watched the duelist go before turning to follow his friends out of the building to their next set of classes.

On the steps, a group of girls had gathered, chatting quietly, when one of them looked over as they came out. All eyes suddenly turned to them, and their chatter stopped. Yugi caught sight of them and smiled his kind smile before turning away, his cheeks flaming red as he passed. A swell of giggling rose up in their wake. Joey cast a glace over his shoulder, his lip curling as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. Tristan snickered behind his hand, elbowing the Game King in his shoulder.

"Why do they have to keep doing that?" Ryou huffed, scowling as he hefted his book bag up higher on his shoulder. Yugi still had not raised his head from where it rested on his chest, his cheeks still flaming red.

"I don't know," he mumbled, "but I wish they would stop." There was something in Yugi's voice that drew Tristan's attention, eerily reminding him of the Yugi he and Joey had tormented years ago before the pharaoh had come. Still smirking, he reached out and smacked the Game King on the shoulder.

"I don't know about that, Yugi. There was a time I wish the ladies had done that to me." Yugi looked over at him as though he had grown a second head.

"They were laughing and pointing at me." Tristan made a valiant effort not to burst out laughing. Joey just grumbled under his breath.

"I don't know about laughing 'at' you, Yugi. I hear Serenity laugh like that all the time, especially when she is with her friends." Yugi just grumbled and quickened his pace, Ryou and Joey right behind him.­­­­­­

* * *

Yugi sat out on the steps of the library, book bag at his feet, gazing down at the pictures of Egyptian artifacts and artistic representations of the ancient cities. Sighing heavily, cheek resting on one hand, he turned the page of the text and idly traced the lines of the hieroglyphics on the page. Sharp crimson eyes gazed back at him in his mind's eye. Intricate gold ornaments bearing the millennium eye adjourned a pharaoh's face. His deep voice rumbled in his mind, the hikari's name echoing within that untouched place.

Giggling bubbled up from the pavement below, drawing Yugi up from his thoughts, and he looked up. There stood a group of five or so girls, looking up at him, covering their giggles with their hands as they ducked behind their hair, pointing at him as they hurried on their way. Face glowing, Yugi watched them go, and was about to turn away when another solitary female caught his eyes. Her straight black hair hung limp around her lowered face, her long arms hugging her books to her chest, shaking her head in apparent disgust at the passing group.

She must have felt his gaze, because she turned and look up into his eyes, her dark features impassive. Yugi smiled at her and nodded his head, a gesture she returned sharply before continuing on her way. Yugi watched her go with a sigh before turning back to his text, but the intricate characters did not enchant him as they did before. Instead, he found himself pondering this strange phenomenon that was the female masses, trying and failing to puzzle out the meaning of their pointing and tittering.

He next looked up when he became aware of a new presence sitting next to him on the steps. Startled, he found himself looking at Ryou's silver-white hair, a silken curtain hiding the whole of the other's face from Yugi's gaze. His plane brown book bag sat between his feet, the shoulder strap suspended upon limp fingers. A frown pulled at the Game King's lips as he took the opportunity to survey his kindred, taking in the deep hunch of his shoulders, the curve of his back. Ryou leaned heavily on his knees, his head hanging forward, concealed. Yugi's amethyst gaze traveled up the hikari's arm, over the pale, threadbare, button down shirt, down the scuffed and worn jeans, skimming over his old, dirty tennis shoes.

Unbidden, the image of Bakura biting down on Ryou's lip flashed through Yugi's mind, and was echoed by Ryou's desperate pleas for Yugi to spare his darkness, to save him: he's not our enemy anymore. But Ryou was engaged to marry. The silver band on his finger glinted, even now, in the sunlight. Yet, Yugi could not shake the 'knowledge' that Ryou was deeply depressed about something. But what? Was there something going on between him and Jennifer? Had they fought? But no, they had fought once before and Ryou had been inconsolable until they reconciled. The only thing that made sense to Yugi was that Ryou still was not able to fully move past Bakura's death; Bakura's release.

Without words, Yugi reached over and placed his arm around Ryou's shoulders, his free hand gripping the corner of his text on Egyptian history. A subtle tension released from Ryou's shoulders at the other hikari's touch, and he accepted the gesture and intent behind it wholly, despite the swell of emotion it caused. Again, as always before, Yugi seemed to understand, and gently pulled Ryou toward him, letting the albino rest his head on Yugi's slight shoulder. There, in the sanctuary of understanding, he let Ryou cry his silent, dry tears.

"Shut da FUCK up, Tristan!" Joey's normally timbre voice was rough as he screamed at his best friend, drawing the Hikaris' attention, and everyone else in the area. Startled at the ferocity in their normally good natured friend, the two turned and stared, wide eyed, toward the top of the stairs, where Tristan and Joey stood in motionless taboo.

Tristan just stared, open mouthed at his friend, looking like he had just been punched in the gut. Joey, on the other hand, was livid, red faced and shaking, his fist white knuckled on the strap of his bag.

"I don' give a _shit_ wha' you an' Serenity do on da weekends, Tristan! I don' wanna hear wha' she likes when da two of you are alone! So long as you don' send her home in tears, I DON'T FUCKING CARE!"

Yugi, ever the caretaker, had already risen to his feet and was approaching the pair, hands held out before him placating. Yet, still, he couldn't bring himself to speak, uncertain how to deal with this Joey. He was used to Tristan blowing up at someone from time to time, but never Joey. Tristan, it seemed, was just as unsure as the King of Games, and could only hold out his hands in surrender, stepping back from his comrade. Joey didn't make any more moves.

"Joseph?" Yugi finally ventured, stepping toward his friend slowly. He rarely, if ever used Joey's full name, but hoped that, in this instance, it would ground him somehow. "Joey… are you alright?" They all watched, uncertain, as Joey's eyes disappeared behind his mop of hair, trembling slightly before straightening and turning toward the steps.

"Yeah Yuge. I'm fine. Sorry, Tristan." And with that, he headed down the steps and toward the sidewalk and headed off to his last class. The others could only watch before Tristan, unusually subdued, followed his friend, unwilling to miss the day's test. Yugi met Ryou's wide, confused eyes and they watched the two of them go.

"What was that all about?" Ryou wondered, his voice whisper soft, as always. Yugi only frowned as his friends disappeared into the crowd.­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

The sound effects of the video games resounded in the large room and converged upon the group one last time as they exited the arcade. Ryou hesitated an instant on the threshold before continuing after his friends. Behind him, on the wall over the prize desk, the clock face continued steadily on, the hour hand falling farther and farther toward the lower rim of the clock face. Outside, Tristan was glowing, having met up with Serenity at the arcade and now gentlemanly held her arm in his after invited her to join them for dinner, but was oddly quiet about it.

Yugi looked on to where Joey strode ahead of the rest of them, concerned for his friend, and trying to remember when he last saw his carefree, roguish smile. A brisk wind picked up in their faces, and Ryou hunched his shoulders to shield against it, hauling his pack up higher on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Yugi's pocket gave off a draconic roar, startling everyone and drawing their eyes. All that is, except for Joey's, who stiffened at the sound and stopped, not turning to look at them. Yugi pulled out his cellular phone flipped it open, holding it to his ear.

"Well this is a surprise, Kaiba. What can I do for you?" Ryou watched Yugi's face as he listened to the CEO on the other line, the wind lifting his silver hair from his shoulders, somewhat cooler now than before.

"Yeah, I remember," Yugi said, nodding though there was no way Kaiba could see. "Were all headed out to Rebecca's Café for dinner. You're welcome to join us." If possible, Joey seemed even more tense than before. Yugi nodded into the phone, little affirmative sounds issuing from his throat as he listened. A faint frown crossed briefly over his features but was easily replaced and he smiled.

"Alright. We'll see you there. An hour right? Okay. Bye."

"Wha' was dat all about, Yuge?" Joey inquired, his voice gruff. He did not turn to look at them.

"Kaiba has something he wants to discuss with us. He said he's busy right now, but that he'd meet us at the café in a little over an hour." Even though his back was turned to them, Tristan could tell that his friend was scowling. He wasn't the only one.

"Let's get goin' den." The blond said before striding off again, back straight, pack his on his shoulder. Ryou said nothing as he followed along with his friends, always staying a step behind Yugi, to the Game King's right. The group traveled in relative silence toward their little café. Trailing some ways behind the group, Tristan was enjoying Serenity's attentions, gestures he was more than willing to return. Joey continued to stalk off before them on his own, and the two hikari's maintained a comfortable, sheltering silence between them.

Finally, Serenity, acutely aware of her brother and feeling guilty, not knowing what was upsetting him, pulled Tristan up to rejoin the group.

"It was so good to see Mai, again, back at the arcade, wasn't it Yugi. I haven't seen her in ages." Yugi turned and smiled brightly back at her.

"Yeah, it was. She's been so busy lately, what with the Baron and her business and all." And the two filled the quiet with their bright chatter, reminiscing about their friends: where they were now, what they were doing, and what they were looking toward in the future. Somehow, it seemed to break the tension that had fallen over them, and even Joey had fallen back to rejoin the group, smiling whenever Serenity looked his way.

It was in good spirits that the group of friends finally entered the café and made their way to the largest corner booth available and ordered their drinks.

"Isn't Tea planning to come home soon, Joey?" Serenity asked, sidling up next to Tristan, enjoying the feel of his arm draped around her shoulders. "I haven't spoken to her in forever."

Joey's gaze lingered on Tristan's arm before meeting his sister's gaze. "She was talkin' 'bout headin' back sometime next week, I dink," He said, shifting his bag to between his feet and settling back in his seat next to Yugi. "Bu' she'll only be here for a couple of days 'fore she has to go back. Dem American schools are only gonna be out for a week."

"Poor Tea," Serenity lamented as their waitress came by with their drinks and took their orders. Ryou was silent throughout the whole exchange over their friends, his thoughts touching briefly on the last hikari in Egypt, before moving on to the hollow in his heart.

"So, Joseph," Serenity piped up a minute later, "Are you finally going to fess up and tell us what's bothering you." She asked, her gaze confrontational as she met his. All others turned to look a Joey to, having been wondering the same thing for some time. Their friend did not meet any of their eyes, instead turning his gaze out the window.

"It nothin', Serenity. Jus' school catchin' up wit' me is all." Serenity looked like she was about to press the issue when a new voice descended upon their group.

"Careful, Serenity. Few things are as dangerous as brooding dogs. They are known to turn on their owners." Joey glared across the table at the CEO striding up toward them. "Quaint little hideout, Yugi." He said, gazing round at the decorum. The Game King smiled, and nodded toward the empty seats for Kaiba and his little brother.

"Hey Serenity." Mokuba said brightly, settling in beside his friend while Seto took up the end of the booth. He hated feeling closed in, regardless of the situation.

"Hi Mokuba! How are you doing?" She asked, and the two promptly disappeared into their own little world. Tristan, by all appearances, couldn't decide if he was amused or put out, and settled for listening to what Kaiba had to say. Joey sulked as he stared out the window toward the darkening sunlight. Yugi and Kaiba made small talk for a while, and even managed to draw Ryou into the conversation when they started about their history class. It wasn't until two waitresses arrived with their orders that Yugi got down to business.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about, Kaiba?" He asked, taking a bite of his fish fillet. Kaiba chewed in silence for a moment, and seemed to be choosing his words with care. Everyone, even Joey, was waiting to hear what the CEO had to say.

"It's been two years." It was Mokuba who broke the ice, meeting Yugi's gaze. The Game King returned his gaze evenly, before shifting it to the elder Kaiba. He had not forgotten, of course. Judging from Ryou's behavior lately, he had not either. How could they, after all. That was the day they had sacrificed their happiness for the love of their darker halves. Of course they remembered.

Ryou let his gaze fall to the plate before him, nudging his food with his fork. Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry anymore, the hollow in his heart setting the ache of his bruises and cuts into sharp relief. Yet overshadowing them all, was the whispered echo of sharp, nipping teeth and firm, bruising grip; of satin bonds and gentle lips; of cries devoured and gentle, controlled thrusts deep into his core. Why had the Kaiba brother's chosen now to remind them of the date? He was trying to move on. He was with Jennifer now. He was happy. Wasn't he?

"What's ya point, Kaiba?" Joey all but barked at the CEO, going on the defensive on behalf of his friends, knowing that the sorrow he felt over Yami's death was not so much as a twinge next to the pain of the Hikaris' loss. Seto glared back at Joey, his blue gaze intense, offended at the dog's implication. After a moment, when Joey did not back down, he sniffed and turned back to Yugi.

"I am thinking about hosting a memorial reunion, of sorts, on their behalf. It's been two years. Most of those involved have drifted off on their own merry ways."

"I thought it would be nice to see everyone again," Mokuba picked up where his brother left off, knowing Seto would never admit to sentimentality of his own. Besides, the idea had been his after all, though Mokuba would never say anything to indicate the peculiar ease with which he had convinced his brother to go along with the plan. "So much happened during those months, and now we're all back in the humdrum of the everyday world. I'm starting to doubt weather or not some things actually happened. I might be the only one, but I thought everyone would like to remember that once we were involved in something greater that this." He indicated the dark city beyond the café window.

Yugi regarded the two Kaiba brothers for a moment before smiling. "I think it is a great idea. I'd love to see everyone again. What do you think guys?" He asked, turning to his other friends.

"Who all are you planning to invite to this shin dig of yours, Kaiba?" Tristan asked, rubbing his fingers in little circles on Serenity's shoulder.

"Everyone," he said, simply, before returning to his food. "I was thinking of taking to opportunity to host a tournament as well, reserved only for the best of the best."

"Which, by definition, includes everyone who has ever been involved in any of our major conflicts." Ryou murmured, almost to himself.

"Indeed."

"So you guys think it's a good idea?" Mokuba asked, looking to each of them and receiving a unanimous affirmative.

"Do we even need to ask bout the date, Seto?" Yugi inquired, already knowing the answer.

"What other day could it be, Yugi?"

* * *

Ryou couldn't untangle himself from the past as he made his way back to his apartment. He felt as though he were sinking in tar, as though the shadows had ensnared him again, and he couldn't escape them or the pain the brought in their wake. He could almost feel the spikes of the ring picking at his chest beneath his shirt. A touch once so filled with rage now tender, bringing such delicious, deliberate pain. A touch that he would never feel again. Would he ever see Bakura again, when he had passed from this life? How long would that take? How much longer would he have to wait? It has been two years already, yet…

"Why couldn't you have stayed with me, Kura?" Ryou's broken whisper was snatched from him by the hot night winds, leaving only bereavement in its wake. He knew the answer of course. It was, in many ways, his teddy bear at night, knowing that he had freed his darkness from a much crueler and unjust fate.

The memory of Yugi, standing on that dais and facing off against the Pharaoh in that ceremonial duel, flashed before Ryou's memory. He could still hear the others cheering the two of them on. Had he been the only one to see the angle of the Game King's shoulders? Or to understand the tension around his eyes as he smiled and sparred with his partner and lover? Sure, Tea had run up to the pharaoh, asking him not to leave them so soon, when they had only just said hello… But had she seen that brief look that had passed over Yugi's face as he uttered the final attack words. He, Ryou, had seen them, and each was a knife in his own chest, knowing what Yugi was doing, and why. Not just for his own Bakura, but for the Pharaoh as well. It was such a cruel day.

And even more powerful than all of these combined was the powerful, wrenching relief he had felt from Bakura as the pharaoh stepped into the afterlife. He was free, released at last. And then, quick on the heals of that was a last, painful arrow meant to burrow deep in Ryou's own heart, conveying all his darkness felt for him in one last blow. Then it was over. The tomb collapsed and they got on a flight back to domino. It was over.

Yugi had disappeared on the way back to their hometown. Ryou had been the only one to notice. He remembered searching and finding Yugi hiding in a concealed corner of the cargo bay. Never before had he seen anyone in so much pain, when not a wound was visible to the naked eye. Yugi just sat there, curled into a tight fetal ball in the corner, his face buried in his knees. He didn't even tremble. He didn't whimper or weep. He only looked up when he felt another kneel silently at his side. The pain in his violet eyes echoed the great pain in his own heart, and he could not hide it anymore. That day, Yugi had opened up to Ryou in his own pain, and they held each other in silence until they could cry. If any had found them there, they made no mention of it.

Ryou startled as he found himself reaching for the handle of his apartment door, surprised that his feet had carried him so far without him realizing it. Something twisted sharply in his gut, and he felt his skin itch to move away. He hadn't felt this way since…

The door opened before he could make up his mind and an angel greeted him on the other side. Ryou felt his heart jump, felt the customary flutter at seeing his fiancée's face, and he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her. She neither accepted the kiss, nor did she turn away. She just stood there, looking at him. When Ryou asked what was wrong, she did not respond, only turned and made her way back into the apartment. Ryou could not help but follow, his stomach tightening further, yet compelled to follow. She led him into their room and all but disappeared into the dark shadows against the farthest wall.

"Jennifer?" Ryou tried reaching out to her again, only to meet nothing but her taught muscles and stiff back. Then he heard the smack, the impact of flesh on flesh. His vision exploded in white and red light. His cheek erupted in flame. His hand cradled his cheek tenderly as he looked back at her, into her cold, crystal blue eyes.

"Where were you, Ryou?" She demanded, her voice, so very much like ice, chilled the very air in the room. "I waited for you for hours. You promised me you would meet me today. We were going to go have some fun." He could not even open his mouth to protest, but even if he could, the peculiar scent in the air, wafting off of her, would have given him pause. What was that sweet, smoky scent? "

"Aren't you going to answer me, _My Love?_" she spat the endearment out like a curse, or, perhaps, an albatross. "I waited for you! Three hours, RYOU!" She struck him again, hard, with little or no restraint. Instinctively, his body reeled with the blow. "You were out with 'him' again, weren't you, Ryou. I told you he and his worthless little friends were nothing but trouble for you. Why don't you listen to me when I know damn well what I'm talking about? That Yugi will string you along and then hang his laundry out to dry on your sorry ass. You know I'm right!" She shoved him back towards the bed, a dangerous glint in her eyes that sent Ryou's blood to ice. He knew that look. He knew it all too well.

"I'm sorry, Jennifer. I didn't mean to leave you," He held up his hands, trying to placate her, mollify her, even just a little. "I just lost track of time. I…" She shoved him again, throwing him back onto the bed and knocking the wind out of him.

"You made a promise to me, Ryou. You've never broken a promise to me before. We could have had so much fun together," Slowly, she started to crawl, catlike, onto the bed, over him. In he faint light, he could only just make out the glint of her tight leather pants hugging her hips and thighs like a second skin. Her breasts nearly fell out of her low cut halter top and into his face. "After tonight, my love," she purred deep within her throat, causing him to gulp, "you will never break a promise to me again." Ryou tried to turn away, tried to block out the thick, sweet smell on her breath, or the vapors of smoke drifting off of her long hair as it fell forward to envelop both her face and his.

* * *

I was really tempted to go ahead and write out that last scene in all its gory detail, until I remembered that "Ryou torture" isn't the point of this story. Perhaps if it wasn't going to be such a long scene, I would have done it, but if it was written it would have been long and drawn out. However, I will be referencing to that scene for the rest of the story that I think you'll get a good idea of what happened. For the time being, I'll just say right now, it went on for hours, and it was bad.

Sighs sadly at the empty mail box, and the dry kindling in the fireplace. Then glares as a pink kuribou with black lashes pokes her head up from the box beside the fire place.

Read and Review. The author is hungry. Flames are used to roast marshmallows and soften chocolate for s'mores.


	3. Chapter 2 Gathering Powers

I don't own Yugioh. I'm just playing on the monkey bars.

Warning: Mature Content

ooooooooooooooooooooo

**A Midsummer's Eve **

**By **

**L. Dakforest **

**Chapter Two **

**Gathering Powers**

Yugi stood alone in the game shop, feather duster under his arm as he straightened the boxes on the shelf. Outside, thunder still rumbled gently in the distance, the city streets glistening in the gradually revealed sunlight. The storm had been tenacious, swirling over the city all throughout the night, viciously proclaiming its power. Now, the sun was finally beginning to reveal itself, and Yugi allowed himself a moment to just linger and appreciate the beauty if the newly washed city.

That is, until the duster fell from beneath his elbow and crashed onto the cleared shelf right below him. The clatter alone was enough to startle him, but the billowing mushroom cloud of dust was what really did him in. He had tried to hold in the sneeze, he really had, but the dust was too much and his step stool had been wobbly to begin with.

Years of being thrown by bullies saved him from the worst of the fall itself as his body instinctively curled inward to protect his head, but nothing could save him from the avalanche of game boxes.

"Yugi! What happened? Are you okay!" Solomon called, rushing down the stairs as quickly as his old bones could carry him. Yugi only grumbled to himself, reaching over to rub his bruised shoulder as the boxes shifted off of him and onto the tile floor.

"I'm fine!" He called out before ducking his head again. "I'm fine…" He murmured, more to himself than anything else. Solomon made it down the stairs at a near run, and turned to run around the counter to check on his grandson. Or, at least he tried to anyway. His arm knocked the day's till off the counter, scattering the bills and coins across the floor, and rammed his hip into the corner of the counter.

He didn't cry out, but he didn't need to for Yugi to hear the grunt of pain. His own aches forgotten, Yugi pushed himself up off the floor and ran to his grandfather's side. "Grandpa! Are you alright!"

"I'm okay." Solomon grunted, cradling his side as he tried to stand up. Yugi was having none of it. Ignoring the atrocious state of the shop for now, he guided Solomon into the office behind the desk and sat him down. He protested well, but Yugi knew better than to take him seriously. Instead, he knelt next to his grandfather's side and began to gently inspect the already blooming bruise.

"I told you, I'm fine, Yugi. It's just a bruise. It's fine," Solomon said, and attempted to bat away Yugi's hand. What he didn't seem to realize, is that he had missed Yugi's hand be a good three inches. Frowning, Yugi took his wrist in his hand and growled at him.

"Just stay still, will you, Grandpa." Releasing him, he tilted his hands inward so that his fore and index fingers were touching, and then touched the point of his fingers to the center of the bruise. Closing his eyes, he heard Solomon's muffled intake of breath, but ignored it. Instead, Yugi concentrated his awareness deep within himself, seeking out the chasm that the pharaoh had left in his wake.

The door across from his soul room was still there, but broken and hanging off it's hinges. Beyond that door was an expanse of shadow where the Yami's soul space had once been. After two years, Yugi doubted that it would ever truly go away, but then again, he didn't really want it to. Focusing on the gap between the door and the wall, Yugi called out to the writhing shadows within, becoming them to him. A gentle black mist answered his call, reaching out to touch him, surround him. He accepted it and held out his hands, palms facing each other, calling the mist into the space formed there.

It had been two years… but even now he still held some sway over the shadows.

Opening his eyes, Yugi focused on the wound and watched as his fingertips began to glow with a very faint black light. Patiently, he waited as the shadow magic spread into the wound, healing it from the inside out. The exercise had left him drained, but Solomon was as good as new when he was done. At least, as far as that would was concerned.

Still, as much as he would have liked to, he couldn't conceal the not so fine sheen of sweat from a man sitting right next to him. Solomon reached out to rest his hand on the side of Yugi's head.

"You didn't have to do that, Yugi." Yugi turned to look up into his grandfather's eyes.

"Don't patronize me, Grandpa." He said gently, reaching up to cup his the old gambler's hand in his own. "You haven't been the same since the puzzle was sealed. You're body is getting weaker by the day. I've watched it happen. You injure so easily now, and your senses are dulled with each passing month. Can you even see my face at all now?" Solomon had no answer for him, and could only look down at his grandson warmly.

"I don't want to be a burden to you, my boy."

"You aren't. You will never be. You have to trust me on that. Okay?" Yugi pleaded, taking Solomon's frail hand in both of his own. Solomon, for his part, could only smile in resigned defeat.

"Good. I want you to take it easy today. It's Saturday, so I'll be able to take care of the store for you. I'll holler if I need any help." Yugi said, rising to his feet and flashing one last smile at his grandfather before turning back out to the shop proper.

However, as soon as the door was closed, Yugi's steps faltered, and he nearly fell forward onto the counter, one hand clutching his heart. The void behind the pharaoh's door throbbed painfully in his chest, and he could not hold back the tears that splattered on the counter.

Steam rose up from the pan as the water cooked out of the eggs. Serenity hummed to herself as she continued to prepare their breakfast: bacon and eggs, hash browns and juice. The last thunderclouds were fading and the city shone in the morning light. Twirling around, she stopped before their small cabinet and started setting the table.

"Well aren't you happy this morning,"

Serenity turned to the open doorway to find Joey, disheveled and still bleary eyed as he moved into the kitchen and plopped down at their chipped little table.

"And what's wrong with that?" Serenity demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

"Nothin'…" Joey grumbled, turning to look out the kitchen window, avoiding her eye. "Where's the old man?" He inquired, sullenly. Serenity just looked at him for a moment before turning to take their breakfast off the heat.

"He left already. Didn't say when he would be back."

Joey grunted. "Good riddance."

Serenity frowned, but did not show it to her brother. "Do you have any plans for today, Joey?" She asked, flipping the eggs onto their stained and chipped plates.

"Nah. I was just going to stay home today, get some homework done."

Serenity turned, a smile plastered onto her face as she brought him his plate. "Why not spend the day with me, Brother. It's Saturday and I have nothing to do. We could go down to the park, or maybe catch a movie. What do you say?'

Joey considered her a moment from behind his bed ragged bangs, chin in hand. He turned to look at the wall as she placed his plate in front of him. "I don't think so. I'm sure Tristan has some kind o' big date planned for the day anyway. I'm not gonna be a third wheel. You two go have fun."

"Actually, he hasn't said anything for me, and even if he did, there's nothing more important that what little quality time we get to spend together," She determined as she sat down with her own plate. "Besides, Dad is not home right now, so there's nothing stopping us. We can go to the arcade, or maybe down to Joe's. I've got some money to spend. Come on."

He looked like he was about to protest again when he turned to meet her eye and hesitated. She was giving him her best wounded puppy eyes.

Joey gulped at the sight of her full blown puppy act, and tried to look away but for the slight wibble in her lower lip. "AH! Alright already. Jeez, serenity. Yer killin me ova here. I'll spend the day wit'cha. Okay?"

Serenity only smiled and nodded before settling back on her end of the table, and started to eat her food. Joey, despite himself, couldn't quite hold back a small smile as he too took up a strip of bacon.

"I guess it has been a while since we last spent some time together, hasn't it Sis."

"Yes. It has. I miss you, Joey. I want us to talk more. You haven't been yourself lately and it worries me. I know what you said before, but are you sure there's nothing bothering you. I may not be able to help, but I can certainly listen."

"Ah, it's not really that important. I've just been swamped with homework is all," He grinned at her before turning to start wolfing down his breakfast.

She eyed him dubiously, "You've never been this stressed about school before. Joey are you sure…"

"Drop it, Serenity!" Joey barked, slamming his fist into the table. He regretted the action as soon as he had said it and took in the shocked, hurt look in her eyes. "Serenity I… I'm sorry, I just…"

"This isn't like you, Joey. Now you're yelling at me? Please, Brother, I'm worried. Are you in some kind of trouble or something?" He didn't answer her, just shook his head and turned away from her.

"Please, Sis, just leave it alone. No, I'm not in any trouble but there's nothing you can do to help me. This is something I've just got to deal with on my own. Okay?" He turned to her, imploring her to understand and let it go. She frowned at him before lowering her eyes.

"Okay."

"Thanks, Serenity." He stood and leaned over to table to kiss her temple, "But I do think I'll take you up on that day trip." She smiled as she looked up at him, nodding.

* * *

Then Yugi saw his customers. 

"Now you be careful with those duel disks, you hear. They may just be holograms, but you can still hurt someone if your careless, okay," Yugi smiled at the children across the counter from him as he closed the register.

"We will, Game King!" One of them called as they took off from the store, whooping and hollering as they went. Yugi just smiled and shook his head before bending down to mark something on a paper register when the phone rang. Reaching for the receiver, he put it to his ear.

"Game Shop. This is Yugi speaking." Yugi chirped into the receiver, bracing it against his shoulder as he turned to ring up a small group of children for the dual monster cards. They were already starting to tear into the laminated foil even as they handed over their money and Yugi counted out their change. "Yes, Chiba-san. I'm pretty sure we still carry the holographic dice monster's mat, but if you'll give me two seconds, I'll be happy to double check on that for you." Shifting his position to briefly catch the phone, he looked at the child paying. "And that will be 365 yen in change. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, now, ya hear!"

"We wont! Thanks Yugi!" Yugi laughed, waving at the children as they ran out of the store, already crowing about their new rare cards. Yugi chuckled and turned back to the receiver.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Yes. Yes. Let me check, sir. Would you like me to reserve one for you. All right, I'll be back in a moment." Resting the receiver on the counter, the King of Games dodged around the counter to check their shelves. When he didn't find the item, he ducked into the back of the store where their reserve stock was. Solomon was hard at work on his computer, squinting though he was through the screen's magnifier. Yugi returned with the box in hand and took up the receiver again. As he went about negotiating the terms of the reservation, the shop door dinged again, but he didn't have time to glance up as the customer was rattling off information for him to write down.

"Very Well, sir. It shall be waiting for you when you are able to pick it up. ... Yes sir. ... Yes sir. I understand. Konban wa." Satisfied, yugi replaced the receaver, plastering on his professional smile as he turned to greet the new customers. "Welcome to the Turtle Game Shop. May I help you find something?"

"Well, well, well… If it isn't the King of Games himself," a nasal, droning voice said from in the doorway. Yugi finished his notation before looking up to find himself face with none other than Weevil Underwood, shinny duel disk loaded and strapped to his arm. "I have an old score to settle with you." He announced, pointing dramatically at Yugi, drawing the attention of the other children in the store. "I hereby challenge you to a duel, Yugi Moto. Face me!"

Yugi was stunned. He hadn't seen nor heard from Underwood since the orikalcose, three years before. But suddenly the time gap seemed to mean nothing, and Yugi had flashes of times past when Weevil would challenge him to a duel, and the feeling of power and protection as Yami emerged from the puzzle to take up the challenge. He shook off the image as soon as it had come, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

"Not now, Weevil. I can't accept challenges while I'm on the clock." Weevil looked slightly disappointed, but before he could say anything, two arms snaked around his waist and drew him back into their embrace.

"It's okay, Yugi, I understand." Rex said, resting his chin on his partner's shoulder. "The King of Games isn't what he used to be. It's okay." He grinned predatorily at Yugi before turning to plant a kiss on Weevil's neck, nipping lightly before pulling away.

"Come on, Partner. He's not worth it anymore. Besides," He turned back to Yugi, his grin still firmly in place, "You'll have your chance at Kaiba's tournament. He may be rusty, but there's no chance Kaiba would stand for him not to show up." Weevil just purred and leaned his head back against Rex's shoulder.

Yugi averted his eyes from the display, taking in the shocked and disgusted looks of the children and parent's alike. "You know I'll be there, Weevil," He said, meeting the eyes of another customer ready to check out, "but for now I'm going to have to ask you two to please leave my store. This is a place of business, not a hotel room." He smiled at the girl who placed a board game on the counter as he spoke. The two frowned at him and his dismissal before jibing him one last time before stalking out the door.

"Yugi," Solomon called, coming to stand in the doorway, "I'll take over. You've got a phone call on line one."

"What?" He turned, not quite processing what his grandfather had said for a moment, still caught up in the memories that Rex and Weevil had stirred up. "Oh, I'll be right there." He finished the transaction before switching out with Solomon and seating himself in the office chair, picking up the receiver.

"Moshi moshi."

"Hey, Yugi. How are you doing?"

"Malik?" Yugi cried, pleased and surprised. Malik laughed.

"None other. You were expecting someone else?" Yugi chuckled.

"I didn't know what to expect. Wow, it's great to hear from you. It's been an age. How's it going?"

"Going good. I just got an invitation to Kaiba's private little tournament, and figured I'd look you up since I'm going to be in town tonight. I'm actually calling from the plane right now."

"You're coming back to domino! Sugoi! When will you be getting in, I'll call Ryou and we'll come pick you up."

"I don't know. Barring any delays, I should be there about nine-ish, your time. I tell you, I've only been on this plane for an hour and the jet lag is already killing me. By the way, Isis sends her best regards. She got stuck tending to the museum exhibit and wont be able to make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It would have been great to see her again too. Is Rashid coming with you."

"Nah, he's too busy with his girlfriend. But they did make me swear to be on my best behavior, or they won't let me out of the house again for a year." He chuckled, amused by their antics.

"I can imagin. Have you had any more seizures lately?"

"No, just nightmares now. I haven't had an episode for nearly a year now. I've been seeing the psycho-analyst person, and she's been helping me a lot; at least, as much as she can considering. It's hard to convince people that I had more than just mere multiple schizophrenia. Even Isis isn't quite convinced Marik was…" He trailed off, and the line went quiet between them.

"I understand," Yugi said, presently, pinching his eyes shut as the shadows swelled from behind the pharaoh's broken door.

"Look, Yugi, I'd better get some sleep before I have to change planes. I'll see you tonight?"

"Naturally." He tried not to choke, "I'll let Ryou know. We'll see you then."

"See you, Game King." With that, Malik severed the connection. The dial tone buzzed in Yugi's ear. He let the receiver fall to the cluttered desk and buried his face in his hands. Part of him was joyous. For the first time in nearly two years, the three hikari's would be reunited. How he had missed the camaraderie they shared. Another part of him, however, could not help but remember the reason for that companionship, and the depth of loss that they alone understood.

Every time, he always thinks that this is it. That he had spent all the tears he had for his pharaoh. Every time he cried, he prayed it was the last time.

His shoulders trembled. His heart and throat ached, and tears dripped onto the paper from between his finger.

BEEP. "We're sorry. The number you have dialed is incorrect. Please hang up and dial again. If you wish to speak to an operator…"

It was the light that burnt through Ryou's dreamless sleep. He tried to turn away from his, but even the twitch of his muscles sent pain running over his shoulder. He tried to shield his eyes, but his arm wouldn't move, couldn't move. He felt something warm trickled down his arm when he tried to pull against the restraint. It was hard to breath. His chest felt heavy, as though it were weighted down. His throat was parched and sore. A light prodding of his tongue told him that his lip had been torn. He tried to shift position, and found his legs to be bound taught as well. He was cold. The air-conditioning vent blew cold air over his spread, naked body. The sun burned right through his eyelids. His face felt hot where its rays landed

He twitched as the sound of sloshing water drifted over to him from the door. Jennifer cooed. "Oh. You're awake, Ryou. I'm so glad." He angelic voice drew near and he felt the bed shift beneath him where she sat. Her shadow fell over his face and he dared to open his eyes. His vision was blurry and oddly two dimensional. It was only then that he realized that one of his eyes was swollen shut.

"Don't try to move, love. You got a little carried away last night." She soothed, wringing out a cloth and started washing his face. He gasped. The water was icy cold on his sallow skin. He jerked his head away.

"Shhh. Don't move, Ryou. I have to clean your cut." She pressed the cloth more firmly onto his face, dragging it over the dried blood. She sobbed.

"Oh Ryou. If only you could see yourself. Why? Why did you make me do this to you? Why did you take it so far when I begged you to let me stop?" Images, like dreams, returned and haunted him from the night before. Begging. Pleading. Pain. Screams.

"I don't know how much long I can go on like this, Ryou." She moaned, taking the cloth away and retrieving some rubbing alcohol and towels from the bedside table. "This just isn't natural. To derive so much pleasure from this kind of pain, it's just not!" She soaked the corner of the towel and dabbed it on his wound. He hissed, stifling his outcry.

"See. That's just what I'm talking about." She murmured. "I makes my stomach churn, knowing that your hurting, yet you keep asking for more. I don't know if I can take it much more."

Ryou was only barely aware of her words through the pain, but heard them none the less. She continued to talk like that all throughout her cleaning, the cold air blowing over him all the while. The alcohol damp towel ran over his entire body, stealing his heat and breath as it went. The sun was soon back in his eyes, and he was blinded again, his face burning from its intensity.

The towel soon found a cut on his inner thigh, brushing against his genitals as it went. The cold shock was enough to make him jerk and cry out.

Jennifer purred at him. "Even after all this, you still are insatiable, aren't you. Here, let me help."

He felt her cold hand wrap around the base of his dick, squeezing tightly around the soft flesh. He caught his breath, trembling as he felt her lift the tip up and blow her hot breath over his length. He sobbed in his dry throat, pulled against his bonds as he tried to deny what she was doing, tried to resist the command that she had brought to bear on his helpless body.

She was gone before he had even properly blacked out after his release.

"Survive."

The word resounded around him; the voice rough and deep in his mind. His vision clouded over as he ran forward, ignored by those around him.

Light shone in the next room, nearly blinding. Ryou pushed forward anyway, sobbing as he drew nearer to the source. He could make out the shape of his own Millennium Ring among the Items spread out on the table. He reached for it, blinded by the light. He had to…

"I should have told you, My Hikari, every day, long before now…"

Suddenly there was no light, no whirling, no mist. He looked up and found himself in his own threadbare soul room, a single door on the far wall. He ran toward it, feeling the pain in his upper arms, tasting the blood in his mouth. The wounds gave him the strength to push onwards, to push past the tears as he dove into the black corridor separating them. Bakura's door flew open at the Hikari's lightest touch, and he fell forward into darkness and shadow.

Falling. Falling. He fought against the shadows, struggled to grasp what he could. His feet found purchase and he ran, screaming, crying out to his darkness as the shadows writhed around him. He saw their eyes, heard their grunts and the deep throated growls. There were monsters everywhere, waiting for him in the shadows. He cried out and ran deeper into Shadow. Then he heard the screams: high, throat rending screams. That voice was never meant to scream.

Ryou called out to him, his Yami's name tearing at his own throat. He fought to reach the source of those cries, but the shadows became like tar and he fell. He was sinking into the darkness. The mist took corporeal form and wrapped black tendrils around him. They stifled his screams as they delved into his mouth and down his throat. Others spread out over him and enveloped him. Another, desperate, high pitched scream, and Ryou again felt the pain in his arms.

"You are… a blessing for which I am unworthy, a gift I do not deserve."

The words haunted him, taunted him. He remembered the slow, intense pain of penetration, the gentle teeth nipping his face as soft lips plucked the tears from his cheeks. Ryou cried out, and no longer struggled against the darkness. He Fought. The shadows would not keep him from his heart. They could not contain the love, the connection, that the two souls shared.

Ryou's skin began to glow, a white Sennen Eye shining on his forehead. He pulled free of the shadows and ran. The darkness did not attempt to snare him again, shying away from the light the boy emitted. The screams continued to echo within the darkness, and Ryou cried out with them.

"BAKURA!"

He found him, at last, alone in the shadows, caught in a single moment. Ryou slowed and stopped, taking in the scene before him. Bakura screamed, thrashing against and unseen foe. Tears spilled over Ryou's eyes and he cradles his blood on his tongue. Stepping forward, he let his light shine upon the shadows, forcing them away from his beloved as he approached.

Bakura screamed again, curling into a fetal position on the ground before his light, and Ryou felt his heart break. Slowly, he knelt down, reaching out to touch his darkness…

The telephone beckoned Ryou away from his dreams of memory. Ryou stirred, shifting painfully on the bed. He was only just aware of the absence of his shackles, or of the sheet that had been carelessly thrown over his body.

The answering machine picked up.

"Ryou. Ryou are you there. It's Yugi. I've got great news. Kaiba sent an invitation to Malik, and he's on his way from Egypt right now. He should be arriving at the airport in about three hours. Do you want me to come pick you up? It would be awesome if the three of us could get to spend some time together." Yugi's voice was positively giddy. Maybe it was just that Ryou knew him too well, or maybe he was delusional, but he thought he sensed a forced edge to his friends joy.

"Ryou, are you sure you're not there?"

Even as Ryou reached vainly for the phone, the darkness consumed him once again .

Yugi sat in the air port waiting area, nearest to where Malik's plane would be docking, munching on his trail mix. He was worried. Ryou had not called him back and, so far as he knew, the other Hikari hadn't had any plans today. Was something going on between him and Jennifer? Even then, though, he knew Ryou enough to know that nothing would have meant more to him than to be here to greet Malik when he arrived.

The overhead screen beeped, announcing that Malik's plane had landed and was now making its way toward the dock. Yugi jumped up from his seat and ran to the large glass pane windows, watching as the massive vessel maneuvered its way into position. His heart jumped as he pressed against the glass. Malik was back. It had been so long since he had seen him.

Too jumpy to sit and wait, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Ryou's number again. All he got was the answering machine. "Ryou, it's Yugi. Malik just arrived. His plane is getting ready to unload now. Do you want to meet up with us somewhere, or should we come by your place?" Yugi waited a moment without getting any response, "Okay, I get that your not there, but please, Ryou, call me when you get this message. I'm starting to worry a little. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

People were just staring to stream in as he hung up the phone, and Yugi turned to them, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet as he awaited his friend's appearance. He needn't wait long.

"Oi. Yugi!" Malik called, waving his hand above the crowd as he fought his way over.

"Malik!" Yugi cried, running over to tackle his friend in a bear hug. Malik responded in kind, dropping his bags so that he could life the small duelist off his feet, spinning once with joy before setting his friend back down. Yugi didn't mind the display at all as he backed out of the embrace, positively glowing.

"Great Ra, It's good to see you again." He said, looking his friend over. "Wow, Malik, you look great!"

"As do you, Old Friend. How's your grandpa doing?"

Yugi shrugged nonchalantly, "He's had better days, but I'm taking care of him." He smiled as he bent down to retrieve some of his luggage. "Come on. It's kind of crowded in here." He said, gesturing toward the main exit. Yugi had taken several steps before he realized that Malik had not followed him. He turned back to find a confused, and faintly hurt expression on his friend's face.

"What is it, Malik?" His friend turned back to him.

"Ryou couldn't make it?"

Yugi's face fell as he shook his head. "I don't know what happened with him. I've been calling him for hours, but all I get is his answering machine."

Malik frowned, "That's strange. Do you think he could be out?"

Yugi shook his head, "I don't know. I haven't spoken to him since yesterday. I suppose it's possible he's studying at the lybrary but," He shrugged, helplessly.

Malik frowned before setting the matter aside for now. "Well there's no use in sitting around here. Do you mind if I dump my stuff at your place for a while?"

Yugi grinned, "Why should I mind. I was planning on have you stay at the game shop for the weekend. Come on." Together, the two hikari's headed off toward the exit and hailed a cab to take them back to the Turtle Game Shop.

"I am worried about Ryou," Yugi confided at last, after some minutes of small talk. Malik turned his full and undivided attention to his friend.

"In what way?"

"I'm not sure yet. He's deeply depressed, and has been for some time, but he wont come to me about it. I don't think he's had a fight with his fiancée again. It's not the same kind of depressed. I'm inclined to think he's in a rough spot in his grieving for Bakura, but he would have told me about that. I don't know what's going on, and I'm worried." Malik frowned, digesting what Yugi had said.

"Our Ryou has always been a quiet one. It may be that he doesn't want to burden you with an old complaint."

"It's not an old complaint!" Yugi burst out suddenly and with undue force. "It's not! The other's don't understand. Even Grandpa doesn't understand. How can they, when their spirits are whole." He turned imploring eyes to Malik, as though desperately searching for the understanding he knew to be there. He was not disappointed.

"Yugi…" Malik reached out to his friend, brushing a tear from the Game King's violet eye. Yugi leaned into the touch.

"The shadows are still there, Malik," Yugi confessed, so quietly that Malik might have almost missed it. "His door is still there, broken, but there. The shadows linger on the other side, where his space should have been. I feel it, all the time, the void of shadows, always reminding me of what should be there."

"Oh, Ra…" Malik murmured, pulling Yugi to him. How long had he waited to tell someone about that, that he still had a connection to the old magic. Malik missed his darkness something awful, but he had not been able to touch the shadows since the ceremonial duel.

He caught the driver looking at them oddly, and resolved to hold off the shop talk until they made it back to the game shop. Neither spoke for the rest of the ride, save the soothing sounds Malik cooed to his friend as he held him.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

YAY. A new chapter is out. I'm so sorry it took so long. Real life has a way of getting in the way. Anyway, I don't think there will be near as long a break till the next chapter is out.

Looks back over her shoulder at a peculiar 'sqeeeee'. Catches a glimps a a round furbal in the trees and sighs heavily.

Read and Review. The author is always hungry. Flames are used to roast marshmallows and soften chocoloate for s'mores.


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